Railroaders' Nostalgia > Hey! Far Out

In the late 60s, B&OCT was generally made up of three groups that wouldn't get along at all if they weren't railroading. There were a lot of second or third generation Europeans of various nationalities, a lot of guys from the south, notably Georgia, and a bunch of young guys with a different kind of attitude toward a lot of things (it was the 60s). Some of the management folks didn't like the way that group three conducted their work. Like everyone else on B&OCT, they did a lot of railroading and were good at it, but sometimes with a different approach.

There was a yardmaster at Barr Yard from the third group, a white guy with kinky red hair that he kept in a 'fro - a big one (wish I could remember his name...let's say B). One day I saw him with a close clipper cut. I asked him why and he told me that he was lighting the oven and had a flash fire in his hair. He said it was like a flash bulb. There was a single bright poof and it was out.

That, along with the beards and long hair of some guys, would set off red alert with some of the management just at the sight of them. However, not only could those folks all keep the pace, some of the young guys who could manage three engines on the work lead at each end of the yard plus a roustabout job doing crossovers and rips as fast as they were generated. I was among the third group, but no beard or long hair to show what I was thinking. One day I was 2d trick Chief, our newly arrived Asst. Supt. from somewhere in the south was complaining about that damn long haired, bearded hippy chief clerk in the yard office (another one of those who knew what I needed and called me with it before I asked). I told the Asst. Supt. that maybe he should pay attention to the work that was being done, the guy was really valuable. The argument persisted for a few days. One day, I brought a book to work that included a picture of a long haired bearded guy who looked like a hippy...except he was the founder of the Chicago & Calumet Terminal, predecessor of the B&OCT - back when long hair and a beard was respectable. I started the conversation, showing him the picture. You're not going to like the way this guy looks, but he must have done some pretty good work, since he started this railroad. I heard no complaints after that.

So, on this particular evening, B was working the eastbound yard (Ashland Ave tower). He told me that he was doing a yard status on the phone with the trainmaster, who was, let's say, not really good at it and didn't like either of us...except we cranked out more railroading than he could wrap his head around (which exacerbated his problem with us). As B was on the phone with the trainmaster, Run 39, the afternoon transfer to the Q, as doubling together at the west end of the westbound yard, right behind him. 39 pulled out onto the main with the double and started shoving back, which wouldn't have been a big thing except that they forgot to throw the spring switch from the North Open to the main. The double was not usually that long and apparently the head man didn't think about it, the same failure occurring to the engineer. The engine was out of sight west of Roll Avenue as they shoved back. Cars started piling up at Roll Avenue at the point where a car had one end on the North Open and one end on the Inbound main. They were doubling without air. As the cars derailed, the shove was getting harder and the engineer pushed harder.

B was watching the debacle. There was no way to stop it. The engine was way beyond the nearest yard speaker. There was no radio. There was nobody who could hear any of the speakers who was in a position to stop the shove.

Now, B had the same attitude as me about a lot of things, including never get excited about something you have absolutely no control over...and if it is something you do have control over, don't get excited, just do something about it.

B was reading the yard to the trainmaster - track, cars, destination, etc. for all of the eastbound yard, interrupting the reading with remarks starting with Hey! Far out, not to the trainmaster, but out loud to himself. He watched the debacle as he was reading, inserting a couple of remarks Cool etc. now taking advantage of the trainmaster. Finally, the trainmaster interrupted and asked what he was blithering about. B described the debacle in living color. As expected, the trainmaster went ballistic. Do something! B asked What?

I don't know. Didn't you call him on the speaker?

Which one? The engine's out around Harvey Jct.

I don't know, but you're not doing anything. You need to do something. You can't just sit there and watch.

Like, what? Got any ideas? Know what, they'll be stopping pretty quick anyway.

How you gonna stop 'em?

I'm not. Pretty quick the engineer will figure out he's having to shove too hard and he'll stop if it doesn't stall because it can't push any more. In fact, they're stopped now. Your turn! Time to put it all back on the railroad.

click

Just him relating the story made my day. A little payback for being a jerk needed to happen at some time. The Barr Yard trainmasters would typically monitor the dispatcher phone on a speaker in their office. Some made good use of the knowledge. Others didn't have a clue of what they were listening to - https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,2183865,2183865#msg-2183865. The trainmaster in this case would periodically call me just to ask, on the occasion of some unusual move to keep things going, Are you guys doing drugs or are you just crazy? It was good to hear something that could occur no other way set him off.

TAW

Your story made me think of this video.

https://streamable.com/6uqnq

CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Your story made me think of this video.
>
> https://streamable.com/6uqnq

Hey! Far out!

TAW

That'l do!

Somebody got fired about that!!

Keep going 'til you hear glass!

Just another 20 car setout at Benicia (RVR cons would know) 😊😊😊

Posted from Android

Too funny!!

Posted from Android

As someone who used to have 14 auto ramps to manage that would have been a nightmare. As someone who enjoys the realities of railroad stories, adventures, and now videos-that was amazing.

Awwww man, my eyes are filled with tears from laughing about "B"'s hair fire. TAW you have outdone yourself. I have laughed through a lot of your stories but, that one takes the cake.

minus three to a joint...

3cars, 2cars, 1car, put yer feet up!

Judging by the topic head, I thought you were talking about a certain Renzenberger driver

Note the man in the video at the far left who can't get far enough away in time and seems to be waving his arms. Too bad there is no sound...<G>

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

Great story. When it comes to the railroad, it always best to judge someone on how they do their job, not how they look.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR